Wanderlust Tips Team, Author at WANDERLUST TIPS • Page 177 of 195

323 reindeers killed by lightning strike in Norwegian national park

(#wanderlusttips #Nationalpark) A single lightning strike killed 323 carcasses scattered across a small, isolated area in Hardangervidda National Park, a plateau-like park in south-central Norway, home to Europe’s largest herds of wild reindeer, according to its website.

[rpi]

One of the agency’s inspectors discovered the dead animals over the weekend after a storm passed through.

Wild animals are occasionally struck by lightning, but the agency has never seen so many killed at once, informed spokesperson Kjartan Knutsen.

“We have never experienced such numbers before. This is very large,” Knutsen said. He said the wild reindeer were huddled together because of heavy weather on Friday, when the strike occurred,” said Knutsen. “That’s why it’s possible for the lightning to kill so many,”

Humans rarely visit the remote area. The dead reindeer were found by one of the agency’s inspectors because Norway is in the midst of its annual wild reindeer hunting season.

Knutsen said five reindeer were still alive when the inspector came across the scene, but they had to be euthanized.

He said the agency has now begun taking samples from the dead animals as part of a health survey.

The dead reindeer were still on site Monday. While the agency usually does not remove animals when they die in the wild, it is currently considering other options because of the large numbers, Knutsen said.

It’s not the first time a large herd of animals have been killed by lightning. In 2005, 68 cows were killed in Australia by a single bolt.

The park, which is located on the area of over 3,000km2, is the largest natural reservation in Norway and is known as the favourite destination for many hikers with many interesting hiking routes and stunning landscapes.

CNN | Wanderlust Tips | Cinet

wanderlust-tips-ndonesia-to-impose-surf-tax-in-mentawai-island

Indonesia to impose “surf tax” in Mentawai Island

(#wanderlusttips #Indonesia #Mentawai) Tourism officials in Indonesia’s Mentawai Islands has imposed on foreign surfers a £60 pay-to-surf fee to enjoy the world-famous waves.

[rpi]

Once riders pay the “surf tax”, they are given a wristband that they are required to wear and can stay for 15 days. This law hasn’t come as a surprise – the latest version has been a year in the making and previous attempts have been enacted but fallen flat – and the Mentawai surf industry says it will benefit locals.

Despite how popular surfing is here, Mentawai Islands Deputy Regent Rijel Samaloisa told the Jakarta Post last year that tourism and surfing don’t contribute much to the islands’ revenue. “We only get the name, garbage and environmental damage,” he said. Exactly how the law will be executed and how much will flow through to the locals remains to be seen.

“I think it will definitely be difficult to enforce,” Sean Murphy, President of Waterways Surf Adventures, told Surfline. “How long will it take for people to counterfeit those wristbands? Will it regulate the number of surfers at any spot at any one time? I am not against the idea in principal, but in practice it is very difficult to coordinate, regulate and enforce.”

Lonely Planet | Wanderlust Tips | Cinet

Dubrovnik’s plan to protect its historic Old Town

(#wanderlusttips #Dubrovnik #Croatia) The Croatian city has proposed a plan to protect its historic Old Town by setting the tourist limit into the area at one time after the number broke the record this summer with 10,000 visitors in just one day (11 August).

[rpi]

According to the proposal announced this week, a maximum of 6000 tourists will be allowed into the Old Town at any one time. Dubrovnik residents will still be allowed in with a special pass. Mayor Andro Vlahušić said the plan came from Unesco who recommended a maximum capacity of 8000 in the Old Town at any time. In order to manage the crowds, cameras with counters would be installed which can easily establish the number of tourists inside the walls at any time.

The new proposal must still be passed before it is implemented, but Vlahušić is enthusiastic about the idea, saying it would be hugely beneficial to tourism in Dubrovnik and help battle overcrowding. Ticket prices to enter and walk the city walls are also expected to rise in 2017 by 20-30 kuna, depending on the type of ticket bought. Dubrovnik has experienced a surge in tourism in recent years, helped in part due to its starring role as King’s Landing in HBO’s Game of Thrones. It’s also become a hugely popular cruise destination, pushing the limit of day trippers exploring the Old Town. Croatia recently topped the list for most searched for travel destinations so it seems unlikely the tourism boom will slow down anytime soon.

Lonely Planet | Wanderlust Tips | Cinet

The world’s first self-driving taxis take the first ride in Singapore

(#wanderlusttips #Selfdrivingtaxi #Singapore) The world’s first self-driving taxis have begun picking up passengers who have been selected for the first free rides through their smartphones in Singapore. The service is operated by nuTonomy, an autonomous vehicle software start-up.

[rpi]

While multiple companies, including Google and Volvo, have been testing self-driving cars on public roads for several years, nuTonomy says is the first to offer rides to the public.

Its launch in Singapore is beating ride-hailing service Uber, which plans to offer rides in autonomous cars in Pittsburgh in the US, by a few weeks. NuTonomy is starting small – currently six cars, rising to a dozen by the end of the year. The ultimate goal, company executives say, is to have a fully self-driving taxi fleet in Singapore by 2018, to help cut the number of cars on the city state’s congested roads. They are also working on testing similar taxi services in other Asian cities, the US and Europe. For now, the taxis only run in a 2.5 square mile (6.5 square kilometre) business and residential district called “one-north”, and pick-ups and drop-offs are limited to specified locations.

The company says dozens have signed up for the launch, and it plans to expand that list to thousands of people within a few months. The cars – modified Renault Zoe and Mitsubishi i-MiEV electrics – have a driver in front who is prepared to take back the wheel and a researcher in the back who watches the car’s computers. Each car is fitted with six sets of Lidar – a detection system that uses lasers to operate like radar – including one which constantly spins on the roof. There are also two cameras on the dashboard to scan for obstacles and detect changes in traffic lights. Doug Parker, nuTonomy’s chief operating officer, said autonomous taxis could ultimately reduce the number of cars on Singapore’s roads from 900,000 to 300,000.

“When you are able to take that many cars off the road, it creates a lot of possibilities. You can create smaller roads, you can create much smaller car parks,” he said. “I think it will change how people interact with the city going forward.” Earlier this year, the company was the first to win approval from Singapore’s government to test self-driving cars in one-north.

Singapore is ideal because it has good weather, great infrastructure and drivers who tend to obey traffic rules, Iagnemma said. As a land-locked island, the city of 5.4 million people is seeking creative ways to grow its economy, so it has been supportive of autonomous vehicle research. Olivia Seow, 25, who took a test ride, said she was nervous when she got into the car, and then surprised as she watched the steering wheel turn by itself.

“It felt like there was a ghost or something,” she said. But she quickly relaxed. The ride was smooth and controlled, she said, and she was relieved to see that the car recognised even small obstacles like birds and motorcycles parked in the distance. “I couldn’t see them with my human eye, but the car could, so I knew that I could trust the car,” said Seow.

Lonely Planet | Wanderlust Tips | Cinet

Ethiopia witnesses the tourism boom thanking to heritages

(#wanderlusttips #Ethiopia) Being considered an off-the-beaten-track destination, Ethiopia is seeing the fast growth of tourism this year, which owes to its richness of historical and natural heritages.

[rpi]

The country was visited by just over 900,000 tourists last year but 2016 is on track to surpass one million for the first time. Plans for 2020 are even more ambitious when they hope to welcome 2.5 million visitors … a far cry from the fewer than 200,000 that visited as recently as 2004. Visitors are arriving from all over the world, though US citizens make up around one in six tourists, with significant numbers also coming from the UK, China, and Italy. For a country that is entirely land-locked, which of course means no beach resorts, Ethiopia is more reliant on its history and natural environment than most.

Fortunately, it has nine Unesco world heritage sites – more than any other country in Africa (except Morocco, also with nine). Among the best known man-made sites are the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela, the remains of the ancient city of Aksum, the walled city of Harar, and the Fasil Ghebbi fortress in Gondar. Natural sites include the lower valleys of the Awash and Omo Rivers, and the Simien Mountains National Park, which is home to an array of endangered species like the Ethiopian wolf and the walia ibex.

Ethiopian Airways has been playing a key role in opening up the country to more visitors with a range of new routes launched last year. In 2015, they began flying to Los Angeles, Tokyo, Manila and Dublin. Last month, they began a three-times-weekly service to Newark via Togo, opening up the New York market for potential tourists.

Lonely Planet | Wanderlust Tips | Cinet

All Nippon Airways considers pet-friendly flights

(#wanderlusttips #airlines) Dog owners may get the chance to take their four-legged friends on board the flights of All Nippon Airways (ANA) after the airline consider introducing special services for them.

[rpi]

ANA ran a charter flight earlier this year to trial the concept – a package tour that allowed passengers to travel with their dogs and spend two nights in Hokkaido, at a cost of ¥220,000 (US$2200) for two adults and one dog. The trial was deemed a success, with the Japan Times reporting that tickets sold out within two days. Dogs on the trial flight were given the window, travelling in cages fixed to the seat, and a vet was also on board.

Currently the two main airlines in Japan – ANA and JAL – only allow pets to travel in the cargo hold, as do a number of other major airlines (though assistance animals are usually allowed). Internationally, a few airlines do allow pets on board with certain size, breed, and cage conditions. For most, this means small- to medium-sized domesticated dogs and cats, but some airlines also allow pet birds, and Alitalia recognises that travellers may want to bring their ferret. United will let you carry on a rabbit but, while they allow household birds, they draw the line at cockatoos. On Copa Airlines, pets can’t travel in Business Class.

ANA used to allow pets on board but ceased this service in 2005 following complaints and concerns about allergies. An ANA official was quoted by the Japan Times saying that if the airline does launch regular pet flights, they will do more to inform passengers about how the cabins are cleaned after these services.

Lonely Planet | Wanderlust Tips | Cinet

“The healing art of beauty” at Aman Resort Venice

(#wanderlusttips #Amanvernice #Susanciminelli) The holistic beauty and health pioneer, Susan Ciminelli renowned for her unrivalled approach to skincare and the “Ciminelli Glow” will accompany your stay at the resort with “Healing Art of Beauty” retreat – a four-night retreat sharing Susan’s beauty and nutrition secrets to achieve and maintain beautiful skin.

[rpi]

The experience will be an addition to the calendar of Aman’s new Group Wellness Retreats and will kick off in November 2016. In collaboration with the chefs of Aman Venice, Susan will impart her nutritional knowledge to create three bespoke meals each day from ingredients with healing and purifying qualities as well as a selection of organic wines. Guests will experience Terme di Salsomaggiore Lissago, an Italian spa experience exclusive to Aman Venice combining the exfoliating, lymph-draining and detoxifying action of Salsomaggiore mineral-rich thermal salt, with a mixture of pure bentonite clay and fossil waters known for their revitalizing abilities for guests to indulge at the Aman Spa.

Aman Group Wellness Retreat is a series of date-led programmes and is part of Aman Wellness, a new concept across the Aman collection launched in 2016. Drawing on the ancient healing modalities for which Aman spas have become renowned and spearheaded by the world’s leading health specialists, the retreats are designed to take guests through an invigorating process of renewal, designed to ground, purify and deeply nourish.

Aman Venice

Add: Palazzo Papadopoli, Calle Tiepolo 1364, Sestiere San Polo, Venezia 30125, Italy
Tel: (+39) 041 2707333
Email: amanvenice.res@amanresorts.com

Wanderlust Tips | Cinet

British royals to visit Canada on September

(#wanderlusttips #Britishroyal) In September Prince William and Kate Middleton will land in Victoria, BC, to begin an eight-day visit to the city and surrounding regions. Their travels will include stops in Haida Gwaii, Bella Bella and the Great Bear Rainforest. This is their second official Royal Tour of Canada.

[rpi]

In 2011, the pair made their first overseas trip as a couple, visiting all of Canada’s regions. The palace has yet to confirm whether three-year-old Prince George and one-year-old Princess Charlotte will accompany their parents. But the president of the Royal Commonwealth Society’s Vancouver Island branch mentioned a rumour that a sandbox will be built at Government House in Victoria. “I’m sure it’s not for the Duke and the Duchess,” he said.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge walk down the gangway of HMCS Montreal, following a morning prayer service on the helicopter pad at the rear of the war ship, after making it’s way down river from Montreal in Canada overnight.

The royal couple will arrive in Victoria on 25 September, where they will be greeted with an official welcome and an Honor Guard review. They will remain in the city for four days of their eight-day tour. Then the couple will travel through Vancouver, heading north to Bella Bella and the Great Bear Rainforest. In the Yukon, William and Kate will visit Carcross, a former gold rush town and now home to about 300 people.

The couple will complete their trip with a tour of Haida Gwaii, an archipelago off the north coast of British Columbia. While there, the couple will learn about the Haida people and explore the wilderness, which is known for its diversity of wildlife.

Lonely Planet | Wanderlust Tips | Cinet

Pokemon burgers served at Sydney restaurant

(#wanderlusttips #Pokemon #sydney) From now to September 3, Pokemon shaped burgers will be featured at the Sydney based Down N’ Out restaurant, inspired by their favourite Pokemon – Pikachu, Bulbasaur and Charmander.

[rpi]

Each Pokeburger has a distinct flavour influenced by the characters’ personality and appearance, but diners won’t be able to choose which burger they want as they’ll be dished out at random.

Ben Kagan from Hashtag Burgers, the group that runs Down ‘N Out, divulged some delicious details to Mashable Australia. The Charmander burger will leave a fiery taste in your mouth, with its added spice and volcanic cheese. The Bulbasaur is “grassy and cleaner”, with Ben likening it to a McDonald’s Big Mac. The Pikachu, on the other hand, is a little on the wacky side, with Down ‘N Out’s “tiger fries” between the bun.

The Pokeburgers are available now and will cost 15 Australian dollars (USD11.4).

Lonely Planet | Wanderlust Tips | Cinet

Inside Antarctica’s only luxury camp

(#wanderlusttips #Antarctica) It has been ten years since Robyn and Patrick Woodhead created White Desert, billing it as Antarctica’s only “luxury camp” and outfitting it with comfortable furnishings and top-notch dining. White Desert offers adventurous travelers the chance to participate in two different trips to other parts of Antarctica — one to Atka Bay and the other to the Geographic South Pole.

[rpi]

Only roughly 30,000 people get the chance to visit Antarctica each year. The continent is treacherous and expensive to reach, and there are only a couple of months at the end of the year when visiting is really feasible. Even fewer people venture to the interior part of Antarctica. Most people who visit the continent cruise from South America to the Antarctic Peninsula and rarely venture inland from the coast.

The tours cost a whopping €64,000 (USD72,000) per person, which includes housing, flights, and food, and take place only in November and December, the warmest time of the year in Antarctica. According to USA Today, the average high temperature is -36 degrees Fahrenheit in November and -16 in December. The average low is -40 degrees Fahrenheit in November and -20 in December.